Even if I Make It Roughly, Ex-rank Items Continue to Accumulate - Chapter 112

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Even Hastily Made Ones Keep Stacking Up as EX-Rank (112)

 

Absurd

 

“What the hell.”

 

Lee Si-hyeok blinked after hanging up the phone.

 

He had returned home and checked his phone that he’d left charging, only to find it flooded with crazy amounts of contact attempts from the Association.

 

So he had called Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon…

 

‘No, seriously, what?’

 

Kidnapping out of nowhere? And why was he asking if he was okay?

 

When he questioned it, Kim said it wasn’t something to discuss over the phone and that he’d come directly to his home.

 

He was hungry so he’d ordered chicken as soon as he got back, but if he’d known this would happen, he should have ordered one more. It would be awkward with just the two of them eating.

 

Lee Si-hyeok clicked his tongue and looked up. He and Hyeon Eul-cheong were sitting across from each other at the dining table, waiting for the delivery.

 

Since things had turned out this way, he was about to ask her if they should order another one, but for some reason, her expression was strange.

 

“…?”

 

She looked both flustered and restless.

 

It was the first time he’d seen her like this, so just as he was about to ask if she was okay.

 

“Um, excuse me?”

 

She spoke first.

 

“Well… there’s something I forgot to mention until now.”

 

“Something you forgot?”

 

“Yes, come to think of it, the reason I found out this home’s address was actually because of that…”

 

Soon, completely unexpected words began pouring out of Hyeon Eul-cheong’s mouth.

 

Rifts, kidnapping, Absolute Dream Guild, rescue operations.

 

Throughout the entire explanation, Lee Si-hyeok couldn’t close his gaping mouth.

 

* * *

 

“…So.”

 

A little later, at the kitchen table.

 

With steaming hot chicken placed in the center, Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon sat across from Lee Si-hyeok and said.

 

“That rift that appeared at the Pohang Warehouse was actually your Special Skill, Mr. Lee Si-hyeok? And you’ve been staying in the space inside that rift this whole time?”

 

“That’s… right?”

 

“No, good grief. Then why didn’t you answer your phone all this time? I called dozens, no, hundreds of times!”

 

“By any chance, didn’t it show as ‘Out of Service Area’?”

 

“Don’t tell me that space also registers as Out of Service Area?”

 

“It seems like it does, for now.”

 

“Hah, this is really something.”

 

Absurd.

 

Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon muttered this and pressed his forehead.

 

He felt all the strength drain from his body. He had rushed over in extreme tension, worried it might be something serious, but as soon as he heard the explanation, all the energy left his entire body.

 

No way, that was the only reason?

 

‘Of course…’

 

Lee Si-hyeok had done absolutely nothing wrong.

 

If anything, it was entirely the fault of the incompetent Association that couldn’t even distinguish whether it was just a skill or an actual kidnapping.

 

Still, feeling deflated was unavoidable.

 

Why on earth had they stayed up all night for weeks, and why had they repeated countless operations and emergency meetings?

 

Even though it was the best response the Association could manage, it couldn’t be more futile. The hair he’d lost from staying up all night was enough to make a bird’s nest.

 

And then there were the three boxes of chicken on the table.

 

Looking at that sight made him let out a hollow laugh.

 

“Um, Team Leader. Should we talk while eating? It’ll be a bit awkward if it all gets cold…”

 

“…Yes, let’s eat…”

 

Lee Si-hyeok looked embarrassed but immediately picked up a chicken leg. Since food supplies had rapidly dwindled the longer he stayed in the subspace, he was quite hungry.

 

Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon also seemed to find his own state absurd, making sounds like ‘Well, this is… really…’ before finally picking up some chicken.

 

Then, as he was biting into the chicken breast, he narrowed his eyes and asked.

 

“More importantly, why are you here, Ms. Hyeon Eul-cheong?”

 

“M-me?”

 

Thud, the chicken fell from Hyeon Eul-cheong’s hand.

 

“Surely you also knew that Mr. Lee Si-hyeok had been kidnapped… no, had disappeared, right? We first found out thanks to you too?”

 

“Th-that’s right?”

 

“Then why are you here? From what I can see, it looks like you’ve been staying together for quite a while?”

 

“Um, well…”

 

Lee Si-hyeok gnawed on the chicken leg while glancing sideways.

 

Hyeon Eul-cheong, who always seemed calm, was just flustered and confused. Seeing that made him let out a small laugh.

 

‘Well, I was curious like Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon at first too.’

 

Why she hadn’t said anything until now.

 

But thinking about it, he somehow understood why.

 

After all, hadn’t he himself told Deputy Han Da-hee that he’d be free, only to completely forget about it?

 

That’s how magical engineers are. They think about something, but when inspiration suddenly strikes, they forget everything else – beings who are simple-minded in a way.

 

Of course, most people aren’t like that, but Hyeon Eul-cheong seemed to be similar to himself.

 

Finding that aspect quite relatable, he watched her pitifully before changing the subject.

 

“By the way, are the Hunters who were deployed to China doing alright? I feel like they suffered unnecessarily because of me.”

 

“Ah, the operation team.”

 

Only then did his gaze stop.

 

“I issued a return order just a while ago. They’ll probably be back in Korea by tomorrow morning.”

 

“Were there no casualties?”

 

“…Yes, not a single one.”

 

At those last words, Lee Si-hyeok’s eyes narrowed slightly.

 

‘Something’s strange.’

 

He could feel the tone trembling a bit. He usually wasn’t good at catching such things, but thanks to his Ki Sense that had been constantly expanded in the subspace, he heard it sensitively.

 

“Even if it was a small elite force, having no casualties at all would be impossible, right? And the opponent was none other than the Absolute Dream Guild?”

 

“It was possible because they only used guerrilla tactics. Our Association is also surprised, so yes. I don’t think you need to worry about it.”

 

“Still…”

 

“It’s fine, so please hurry up and eat. At this rate, everything will get cold.”

 

“….”

Something was definitely strange.

Normally, he wouldn’t have persistently questioned like this. However, even if he wasn’t at fault for this incident, hadn’t he at least provided some cause for it?

It felt unsettling to just let it slide like this.

He pondered the two keywords – Absolute Dream Guild and the injured person – then casually let slip:

“Well, I understand for now. If there happens to be someone who got hurt, please let me know later.”

 

“Yes, but that won’t happen….”

 

“If it’s the Absolute Dream Guild, it would be mental-related, and I can help resolve issues in that field.”

 

“…?!”

His pupils suddenly dilated.

Lee Si-hyeok, who didn’t miss that reaction, raised the corner of his mouth, and soon Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon began telling the truth he had been hiding.

“Mr. Lee Si-hyeok, there’s actually something I didn’t tell you….”

 

* * *

Eight people who suffered mental breakdowns in the operation team.

Along with that fact, Lee Si-hyeok was able to hear another story.

‘Nari Basin Gate.’

The Gate he had been waiting for ever since the first session of the seminar had finally been conquered.

Two days ago, the Hunter conquest team encountered the Boss monster.

After an intense battle that lasted day and night, they finally finished it at dawn today.

So Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon said he would connect Lee Si-hyeok with the leader of that conquest team. After all, traveling with someone experienced would be much easier.

Normally, it would be standard to form an exploration team before entering, but this was a benefit provided because only Lee Si-hyeok had priority exploration rights.

Anyway, after finishing various conversations, Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon immediately returned to the Association.

‘He said he had a lot to do.’

That was inevitable. Since he was the one who first reported this incident to the Association, he probably had many matters to take responsibility for.

And so, the next day.

“Then I’ll take good care of the research institute. Don’t forget about me.”

 

“Yes, I’ll visit often.”

First, he sent Hyeon Eul-cheong back to the subspace.

Her hands were full of packed luggage – as soon as she woke up, she had bought tons of food ingredients from a large supermarket. Only ones that would last as long as possible.

During that time, when he asked what would happen to Cheongyeon Workshop, she had a surprisingly cool reaction.

―You don’t need to worry about it. There are no customers anyway.

It seemed like for her, it was nothing more or less than a tool to cut herself off from the world.

“Kyaaahhh! The government! The government is monitoring us!”

Lee Si-hyeok narrowed his eyes as he looked down at the hospital bed.

The place he was currently at was the Association Affiliated Hospital.

He was here to examine the mental breakdown victims that Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon had mentioned.

“Now, Hunter Jung Woo-jin. Who do I look like to you?”

 

“You! You!”

 

“Me?”

 

“Hmm…? Who? Who are you?”

 

“Hunter, you should speak first.”

 

“No, wait a minute, what the hell. Who are you to grab someone’s hand so carelessly?”

 

“Oh. You’re all healed. You can go back to sleep now.”

 

“What the hell! Why is some guy holding my hand…?”

 

Snore… snore…

 

First patient resolved for now.

 

It was a Hunter whose mind had collapsed and was spouting nonsense about the government wiretapping him, but I activated 〈Phazesis〉 to reverse the brainwashing and undo it.

 

In the process, I tried holding his hand once while mimicking a gentle doctor as much as possible.

 

‘I shouldn’t do this anymore.’

 

Perhaps because they were people who had lived in Gates, they were rougher than I expected. Well, if they were considered elite, they would have been through all kinds of hardships.

 

Moreover, since I had even hidden my face in preparation for drawing attention, their reactions were even more intense.

 

[〈Phazesis〉 reversely restores the opponent’s mind!]

 

[〈Phazesis〉 reversely restores the opponent’s mind!]

 

[〈Phazesis〉 reversely…]

 

After repeating it seven more times, all treatment was complete.

 

Though I heard some harsh words in between, I felt no resentment at all.

 

After all, weren’t they grateful people? They were the ones who stepped forward to save me.

 

Moreover, thanks to this help, the Association said they would provide me with several more Supreme Grade Magic Stone samples, so there was an unexpected gain.

 

Lee Si-hyeok, who had left the hospital, immediately took his car and headed to Ulleungdo.

 

The ‘Nari Basin’ located in Buk-myeon, Ulleung-gun, North Gyeongsang Province.

 

He was supposed to meet the Hunter that the Association had connected him with there.

 

When he arrived at the foot of the mountain where the basin was located, he could see the surrounding area sealed off with steel fences.

 

‘Is that the person?’

 

And in the middle of it, a man with a large build was waiting for Lee Si-hyeok.

 

An intimidating atmosphere emanating from his shortly cropped hair.

 

Rather than sturdy, he was closer to being burly.

 

The name of the man carrying a giant hammer on his back was…

 

‘Guardian.’

 

Hunter name, Guardian of Light.

 

He was the second S-rank Hunter born in South Korea.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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